China Launched its 8th Type 052D Destroyer while the 4th Started Sea Trials with PLAN

China Launched its 8th Type 052D Destroyer while the 4th Started Sea Trials with PLAN

Posted On
Sunday, 29 November 2015 10:14

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Naval Forces News - China

China
Launched its 8th Type 052D Destroyer while the 4th Started Sea Trials
with PLAN

Based
on several pictures that have been released by Chinese spotters, it
appears that the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese Navy)
fourth Type
052D (NATO reporting name Luyang III class) destroyer started
sea trials. In the meantime, another Type 052D was launched on November
28th. It is the 8th vessel in the class and the first one launched at
the Dalian naval shipyard (Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company member
of CSIC - China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation).

The fourth Type 052D Destroyer seen during sea trials.
Chinese spotter photo published November 22 2015.

The first vessel of of the class, Kunming(hull number 172), was commissioned
in March
last year. Changsha
(hull number 173), the second Type 052D Destroyer to
join the PLAN, was launched just four months after head of the class
Kunming but was commissioned much later, in August
this year.

This could indicate that follow on ships of the class, starting with
Changsha, have and will receive some modifications compared
to head of class Kunming.

The third vessel of the class, Hefei (hull number 174) is expected
to be commissioned in December 2015 or early 2016. It was announced
in October in an official
bulletin that the Destroyer's crew was in training. Hefei
is set to be the first Type 052D to be belong to the PLAN East Sea Fleet.
The first two vessels of the class belong to the PLAN South Sea Fleet
and based at the Yulin Naval Base located in the Yalong Bay (city of
Sanya) on Hainan island. Hefei was spotted at the same naval
base in Fall 2015 likely conducting training there before commissioning.

The eighth Type 052D Destroyer was launched at Dalian naval shipyard
on November 28 2015. It is the first one of the class for this shipyard.

At least 10 Type 052D Destroyers are expected to
be built for the PLAN, most of them (80%) by Changxing
Jiangnan naval shipyard near Shanghai. Recent pictures (see below)
show more vessels of the class at various stages of completion.

The Type 052D Kunming class (Nato designation: Luyang III)
is the latest generation of guided-missile destroyer (DDG) of the Chinese
Navy. It is based on its predecessor, the Type 052C DDG and likely shares
the same hull. However the Type 052D incorporates many improvements
in terms of design as well as sensors and weapons fit. This new class
of vessel is considered as the Chinese equivalent to the American AEGIS
destroyers.